Ag News: EU Cheese Names

**The U.S. Special Report 301 issued last month by the U.S. Trade Representative rejected policies by the European Union to block producers from using common cheese names like fontina, gorgonzola, asiago and feta.

According to milkbusiness.com, the report states EU policies look to intentionally put U.S. suppliers at a disadvantage on global markets.

The USTR claims the EU actions infringe on the rights of U.S. producers and imposes unwarranted market barriers.

**Cooke Aquaculture will pay the full $332,000 penalty to the Washington Department of Ecology for the collapse of its floating pen near Cypress Island that released 250,000 non-native fish into Puget Sound.

Initially, Cooke appealed the penalty to the Pollution Control Hearings Board, but in a legal settlement with Ecology, agreed to pay the full penalty.

The collapse in August 2017 led to a multi-agency investigation, and ultimately to the state Legislature passing a bill to phase out non-native fish farming.